US4823930A - Apparatus for redistributing flat articles - Google Patents

Apparatus for redistributing flat articles Download PDF

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Publication number
US4823930A
US4823930A US07/131,092 US13109287A US4823930A US 4823930 A US4823930 A US 4823930A US 13109287 A US13109287 A US 13109287A US 4823930 A US4823930 A US 4823930A
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United States
Prior art keywords
routing
inlet
lanes
gate
routing gate
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Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Fee Related
Application number
US07/131,092
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English (en)
Inventor
Martin Low
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft
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Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft
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Assigned to SIG SCHWEIZERISCHE INDUSTRIE-GESELLSCHAFT, CH-8212 NEUHAUSEN AM RHEINFALL SWITZERLAND reassignment SIG SCHWEIZERISCHE INDUSTRIE-GESELLSCHAFT, CH-8212 NEUHAUSEN AM RHEINFALL SWITZERLAND ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST. Assignors: LOW, MARTIN
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    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
    • B65B23/00—Packaging fragile or shock-sensitive articles other than bottles; Unpacking eggs
    • B65B23/10—Packaging biscuits
    • B65B23/12—Arranging, feeding or orientating the biscuits to be packaged
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65G—TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS
    • B65G47/00—Article or material-handling devices associated with conveyors; Methods employing such devices
    • B65G47/52—Devices for transferring articles or materials between conveyors i.e. discharging or feeding devices
    • B65G47/68—Devices for transferring articles or materials between conveyors i.e. discharging or feeding devices adapted to receive articles arriving in one layer from one conveyor lane and to transfer them in individual layers to more than one conveyor lane or to one broader conveyor lane, or vice versa, e.g. combining the flows of articles conveyed by more than one conveyor
    • B65G47/71—Devices for transferring articles or materials between conveyors i.e. discharging or feeding devices adapted to receive articles arriving in one layer from one conveyor lane and to transfer them in individual layers to more than one conveyor lane or to one broader conveyor lane, or vice versa, e.g. combining the flows of articles conveyed by more than one conveyor the articles being discharged or distributed to several distinct separate conveyors or to a broader conveyor lane

Definitions

  • This invention relates to an apparatus for redistributing flat articles, particularly confectionery items such as biscuits, cookies or crackers advanced in a plurality of inlet columns on a first conveyor.
  • the articles are further advanced on a second conveyor in outlet columns, whose number differs from that of the inlet columns.
  • the apparatus includes a plurality of pivoted routing gates which may be swung into either one of two end positions and each of which being associated with a separate inlet column, that is, a separate inlet lane of the first conveyor.
  • each inlet column (inlet lane) is associated with an inclined, flat routing gate which may be pivoted about an axis arranged parallel to the direction of article advance. All the routing gates are controlled by a single common drive with the intermediary of cam discs. In such an arrangement it is required that in all columns the articles reach the routing gates all at the same moment. Further, the motion of the routing gates must be synchronized with the advance of the articles. This requires a complicated aligning and synchronizing system in which the risks of malfunctioning are relatively high.
  • Swiss Pat. No. 607,967 discloses a grouping apparatus for a single supply column for packaged chocolate bars. Above the supply column there is arranged a sensor which controls, by means of a counter, a routing switch for the further guidance of the products into any one of two possible outlet columns. In this manner, in the outlet columns counted groups of chocolate bars may be formed. The groups are advanced to a packing machine.
  • each routing gate is equipped with its own sensor which, upon passage of an article emits a signal and further, each routing gate has its own setting motor controlled by the associated sensor.
  • FIG. 1 is a schematic side elevational view of an article redistributing device according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.
  • FIG. 2 is a schematic top plan view of the construction illustrated in FIG. 1.
  • FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view taken along line III--III of FIG. 2, illustrated on an enlarged scale.
  • FIG. 4 is a view taken in the direction of the arrow IV shown in FIG. 3.
  • FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line V--V of FIG. 3.
  • FIG. 6 is a schematic top plan view of one part of another preferred embodiment of the invention.
  • FIG. 7 is a view taken in the direction of the arrow VII shown in FIG. 6.
  • FIG. 8 is a circuit diagram for controlling components of the preferred embodiments.
  • FIGS. 1 and 2 flat rectangular articles such as biscuits are advanced in four inlet lanes (inlet columns) 3, defined by guide plates 2, to a redistributing device 4 which divides the incoming articles into eight outlet lanes (outlet columns) 6 defined by further guide plates 5.
  • the conveyor system for advancing the articles is formed of an upstream conveyor belt 7 driven by a motor 8 and a downstream, faster running conveyor belt 9 driven by a separate motor 10. This ensures that the articles 1 are separated into columns in a reliable manner.
  • the redistributing device 4 is formed of four inclined, planar routing gates 11 which are swingable to assume one of two end positions.
  • Each routing gate 11 is associated with a separate inlet lane 3, and is arranged at the downstream end thereof.
  • Each routing gate 11 has its own setting motor 12. Upstream of each routing gate 11 there is arranged a separate sensor formed of a reflected light barrier 13. Upon passage of an article 1 underneath the optical barrier 13, the latter generates a signal which controls the setting motor 12 of the associated routing gate 11.
  • the articles in the outlet lanes 6 first slide on an inclined chute 14 and are then transferred thereby to a horizontal conveyor belt 15 provided with guide plates 16 for advancing the article columns, for example, to a plurality of packing machines.
  • the routing gate 11 is a planar plate member which is rigidly connected with a drive shaft 20 which forms part of the setting motor 12 and which is inclined relative to the plane of the routing gate 11 at an acute angle ⁇ at a location.
  • the shaft axis 21 traverses the plane of the upper face 22 of the routing gate 11 adjacent the downstream edge 23 thereof and adjacent the upper corner 24 of an adjoining guide plate 5.
  • the shaft axis 21 and one of the guide plates 5 are parallel and symmetrical to two guide plates 2 defining one inlet lane 3.
  • the vertical plane defined by the inside surface 25 of one guide plate 2 intersects the upper face 22 of the routing gate 11 along a line 26 which is approximately parallel to the direction of conveyance of the conveyor belt 9 and is at the same height level or is somewhat lower than the plane of the upper side 27 of the conveyor belt 9.
  • the upper face 22 of the routing gate 11 lies above the prolonged upper edge 28 of the guiding plate 5.
  • the redistributing device 4 By virtue of the described construction of the redistributing device 4 it is achieved that the rectangular articles slide over the routing gates 11 with their longitudinal edges parallel to the direction of advance without changing their orientation and arrive in a properly aligned manner onto the outlet lanes defined by the guide plates 5.
  • the pivotal axis inclined relative to the routing gate plane results in low moments of inertia and makes possible a simple support arrangement and force transmission.
  • FIG. 8 shows a circuit diagram for such a servomotor.
  • the signal of the optical barrier 13 designated as a switch is applied to a bistable stage 32.
  • the bistable stage 32 assumes its other stable position and, via one or the other limit switch 31 energizes one of two solenoids 33 of the setting motor 12 for the desired forward or reverse run until the associated limit switch 31, upon reaching the terminal position of the routing gate 11 interrupts the electric current.
  • the optical barrier 13 is adjustable by displacement on a carrier 34 in the direction of article advance and may be immobilized by a setscrew 35.
  • the redistributing device 4 may also be used for reducing the number of outlet columns compared to the number of inlet columns.
  • FIGS. 6 and 7 Such a variant is illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7 in a schematic manner.
  • a plurality of inlet columns guided by guide plates 42 is divided into three columns in three respective inlet lanes 43, 44 and 43.
  • the conveying means in this embodiment is, instead of a conveyor belt, an inclined plate 45 on which the articles slide.
  • the plate 45 In the middle lane 44 the plate 45 is, at its downstream end 46, at a higher level than that of the two flanking lanes 43.
  • the mid lane 44 is associated with a routing gate 47 which is structured and controlled in a manner identical to that described in FIGS. 1-5 in connection with the routing gates 11.
  • the articles in both flanking lanes 43 are, by means of guide plates 48, guided on an inclined plate 49 directly into the two outlet lanes 50 defined by guide plates 51.
  • the articles advanced in the central inlet lane 44 are distributed by the routing gate 47 uniformly into the one and the other outlet lane 50.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Attitude Control For Articles On Conveyors (AREA)
  • Branching, Merging, And Special Transfer Between Conveyors (AREA)
US07/131,092 1986-12-23 1987-12-10 Apparatus for redistributing flat articles Expired - Fee Related US4823930A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CH519286 1986-12-23
CH5192/86 1986-12-23

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US4823930A true US4823930A (en) 1989-04-25

Family

ID=4289469

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US07/131,092 Expired - Fee Related US4823930A (en) 1986-12-23 1987-12-10 Apparatus for redistributing flat articles

Country Status (2)

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US (1) US4823930A (fr)
EP (1) EP0273859A3 (fr)

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5048695A (en) * 1988-11-10 1991-09-17 The Boeing Company Reject station in a gravity conveyor
WO1993012383A1 (fr) * 1991-12-12 1993-06-24 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. Procede et appareil permettant de supprimer plus efficacement les divers polluants produits par un combustible brule
WO1996033115A1 (fr) * 1995-04-17 1996-10-24 Interbold Dispositif d'alimentation pour papier, sans discontinuite
US5761883A (en) * 1995-11-28 1998-06-09 Food Machinery Sales, Inc. Cookie tray loading machine
US20080053878A1 (en) * 2004-05-24 2008-03-06 Ragnarsson Egill T In-Feed Distributing Unit
EP2336057A1 (fr) * 2009-12-21 2011-06-22 Nestec S.A. Appareil et procédé de manoeuvre de produits
NL2016391A (nl) * 2016-03-08 2016-08-12 Koppert Machines En Zonen B V Werkwijze en inrichting voor het uitladen van agrarische producten.

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE4330427C2 (de) * 1993-09-08 1996-07-11 Haensel Otto Gmbh Verfahren und Vorrichtung zur Stapelbildung flacher Warenstücke, insbesondere zum Verpacken von Keksen
CH685990A5 (de) * 1994-06-28 1995-11-30 Grapha Holding Ag Einrichtung zum seitlichen Umlenken eines Produktestromes.
AT513833B1 (de) * 2013-02-22 2014-08-15 Silhouette Int Schmied Ag Scharniergelenk für eine Brille

Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US833319A (en) * 1905-09-09 1906-10-16 King & Hamilton Company Conveyer.
US2451104A (en) * 1945-11-10 1948-10-12 Riviera Packing Company Distributing apparatus
US2671549A (en) * 1951-01-13 1954-03-09 Lubetkin Jacques Row forming device
GB1282328A (en) * 1969-10-21 1972-07-19 Baker Perkins Ltd Improvements relating to the handling of biscuits
US3739901A (en) * 1970-11-12 1973-06-19 Simon Vicars Ltd Biscuit handling machinery
CH607967A5 (fr) * 1976-05-14 1978-12-15 Sig Schweiz Industrieges

Family Cites Families (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US1966387A (en) * 1932-06-02 1934-07-10 Continental Can Co Counter and diverter for can body machines
US3193078A (en) * 1963-01-18 1965-07-06 Emhart Corp Article divider for conveyors
DE1239984B (de) * 1964-01-27 1967-05-03 G Zagelow Dipl Ing Vorrichtung zur Annahme, Bevorratung und Weitergabe von Foerderguttraegern an Arbeits-plaetzen
US3241651A (en) * 1964-03-04 1966-03-22 Emhart Corp Carton diverting apparatus
CA1027520A (fr) * 1975-04-16 1978-03-07 Labatt Breweries Of Canada Limited Transporteurs-trieurs a prise laterale d'articles
US4372435A (en) * 1980-10-27 1983-02-08 Rexnord Inc. Positively driven steering member for conveying apparatus

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US833319A (en) * 1905-09-09 1906-10-16 King & Hamilton Company Conveyer.
US2451104A (en) * 1945-11-10 1948-10-12 Riviera Packing Company Distributing apparatus
US2671549A (en) * 1951-01-13 1954-03-09 Lubetkin Jacques Row forming device
GB1282328A (en) * 1969-10-21 1972-07-19 Baker Perkins Ltd Improvements relating to the handling of biscuits
US3739901A (en) * 1970-11-12 1973-06-19 Simon Vicars Ltd Biscuit handling machinery
CH607967A5 (fr) * 1976-05-14 1978-12-15 Sig Schweiz Industrieges

Cited By (10)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5048695A (en) * 1988-11-10 1991-09-17 The Boeing Company Reject station in a gravity conveyor
WO1993012383A1 (fr) * 1991-12-12 1993-06-24 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. Procede et appareil permettant de supprimer plus efficacement les divers polluants produits par un combustible brule
US5655644A (en) * 1993-01-15 1997-08-12 Interbold Seamless paper media gate
WO1996033115A1 (fr) * 1995-04-17 1996-10-24 Interbold Dispositif d'alimentation pour papier, sans discontinuite
US5761883A (en) * 1995-11-28 1998-06-09 Food Machinery Sales, Inc. Cookie tray loading machine
US20080053878A1 (en) * 2004-05-24 2008-03-06 Ragnarsson Egill T In-Feed Distributing Unit
EP2336057A1 (fr) * 2009-12-21 2011-06-22 Nestec S.A. Appareil et procédé de manoeuvre de produits
WO2011076556A1 (fr) * 2009-12-21 2011-06-30 Nestec S.A. Appareil et procédé permettant de manoeuvrer des produits
US20130174519A1 (en) * 2009-12-21 2013-07-11 Nestec S.A. Apparatus and method for manoeuvring products
NL2016391A (nl) * 2016-03-08 2016-08-12 Koppert Machines En Zonen B V Werkwijze en inrichting voor het uitladen van agrarische producten.

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP0273859A3 (fr) 1988-12-07
EP0273859A2 (fr) 1988-07-06

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AS Assignment

Owner name: SIG SCHWEIZERISCHE INDUSTRIE-GESELLSCHAFT, CH-8212

Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST.;ASSIGNOR:LOW, MARTIN;REEL/FRAME:004806/0914

Effective date: 19871201

Owner name: SIG SCHWEIZERISCHE INDUSTRIE-GESELLSCHAFT, CH-8212

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Effective date: 19930425

STCH Information on status: patent discontinuation

Free format text: PATENT EXPIRED DUE TO NONPAYMENT OF MAINTENANCE FEES UNDER 37 CFR 1.362